South Africa suspend coach Mashaba
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- South African preparations for this month's African Nations Cup have been thrown into turmoil with the suspension of coach Ephraim 'Shakes' Mashaba.
A South African FA executive committee meeting slapped a seven-day ban on Mashaba for breaching his contract and put assistant April 'Styles' Phumo in temporary charge
SAFA said the coach had chosen injured and inactive players and not respected national interests - and warned Mashaba could lose his job before the tournament in Tunis.
Mashaba was taken to task for failing to accommodate requests by FC Porto striker Benni McCarthy and Charlton defender Mark Fish that they be allowed to stay with their European clubs until just before the finals on January 24.
Both wanted to skip most of the 14-day training camp ahead of the finals, but Mashaba insisted that all players be available from January 10.
Fish withdrew from the squad and McCarthy announced his retirement from international football, provoking heavy criticism of Mashaba by his employers.
Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune has ignored all contact with the South African Football Association since a fall-out with the coach in April.
South African FA chief executive Albert Mokoena explained the suspension in a statement.
"Firstly Mashaba failed to monitor and identify all national player information by selecting players for the national squad that were injured or that had not played for their respective clubs for a long period," he said.
"Secondly he (Mashaba) failed to use his best endeavours to promote the interest of the national team resulting in players retiring early from the national team."
The coach has been given a week to remedy these two points: "It is possible if Mashaba comes up with the remedy for those problems we could re-instate him."
Mokoena said that Mashaba had been told by telephone of the decision and a letter had been delivered to him.
The South African national team is to leave for Mauritius on Thursday for a weekend warm-up for the Nations Cup.
